April 4th, 2013

Subway Music x FatKidOnFire - Dutch Flowerz #2

Dutch Flowerz #2

After Michael‘s debut interview with The Netherland’s Obeyat the end of February, we got talking and decided to make his position here on the team a little more official. To celebrate doing so, he’s back with his next insight into those pushing the dubstep sound (in its various guises) over in Holland…

Subway Music has drawn light and attention to music by many prominent and innovative artists; and Geoffrey van der Tuuk (aka Nicon)has been there from the start. Initially starting as a Drum & Bass DJ, Nicon says he couldn’t have guessed his time in the industry would get this far when he started.

Subway isn’t just about releases, it’s also a series of well-attended events – but the impact both have had on Holland truly has been paramount. As the label prepares for it’s latest releases, we caught up with Geoffrey to discuss the future of the label, the events and more…

Hi there Geoffrey, thanks for your time. Things have been changing in dubstep. What does this mean for Subway?For me it boils down to doing my own thing with the label right now. I will support the people that I think are cool. At the same time, I want to keep the releases and events diverse, so that people don’t/ can’t categorise too easily. Our aim is to invest in fresh talent – guys like Addergebroed and Lifecycle. Snarebox is also a good example. His track ‘Bounce’ received huge support and still gets dropped at a lot of events. This actually has been his first official release.

Which artists are scheduled for the upcoming releases?To start with, we are releasing LAXX’s ‘You Turn Me VIP‘ this month. Then we’ve got fresh talent from Greece in the form of Camelorg and UZZI. A new Megalodon EP is in the works, and one from Snarebox as well. We’ve also a release from Addergebroed is on the way, as are Franky Nuts and Lifecycle.

Are there any Dutch artists you would recommend to the readers of FatKidOnFire?The Illuminated are doing good, as are TMSV and Lifecycle. There are a lot of people doing exciting things, but these are the guys that are doing really well in my opinion. Their sounds are original and bring a whole new twist to what dubstep is.

What have you got planned in the next few months?We are currently planning Subway XL5; based on a concept lineup I’ve made. It might just be the biggest party in The Netherlands to date! I really want to bring the whole broad experience to an event, so when people come they can really get a taste of different things. Hosting 4 different areas in one night will really make this possible.

What’s your take on social media and the role that it plays in music these days?It’s fun because the interaction makes instant feedback possible. You can clearly notice what people like – especially when they really like it. In the early days you basically had mailing lists to communicate. Nowadays you can quickly see what people are thinking.

We heard you guys are also hosting the first Subway beach party in a few weeks. Can you tell us more? On Saturday 13 of April we are hosting an event at a beach resort. This type of location is one of the biggest in Europe and is prepared for all types of weather. We will host 2 areas (dubstep and DnB.) It’s still early in the season, but when the weather is good, we can partially open the roof. No one has hosted dubstep and DnB events there yet so I’m really looking forward to it.

What would be something most people are not aware of that comes with running a label? People easily assume that quantity is important for a label. For me it’s like owning a record collection – you don’t want to have bad records in there. Imagine looking back at your records from 2 years ago and wondering what had gotten into you!

When a label releases too much average material the perception declines. Before you know it, people don’t even take the time to listen to what’s still good. The idea is to constantly release things that really are quality. It’s very crucial to be critical about your work. I am, so I expect it from other people. There are countless labels out there coming with something, but you really have to bring the right stuff to make a difference.

As people may know, you are also producing these days. Are there plans for releases yet?Lifecycle and I have been working on a collab called ‘White Light’. It’ll be on Lifecycle’s new EP (we are finishing it at the moment). It’s got a neurofunk bassline but still has a genuine dubstep vibe. [Geoffrey played it during our Skype call and it sounded huge! – M]

Any thoughts to conclude the interview?The scene is changing, but I think it’s for the good. We are beyond the whole commercial vibe. Skrillex squeezed everything out of it. Many bigger names in dubstep are now starting to focus on other things. I believe that this can make the sound of dubstep fresh again. Dubstep is getting spacey again, but this is a good thing. New producers will get a better chance now.